The Lake Nona Lions will square off against the St. Cloud Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Lake Nona is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. Everything went their way against Poinciana as they made off with a 15-1 win. The victory was nothing new for the Lions as they're now sitting on three straight.
Tanner Pielock looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
Luke Ramsey
| 04/14/25 vs Poinciana | 1 |
| 04/11/25 vs Lake Buena Vista | 1 |
| 04/10/25 vs Innovation | 1 |
| 04/03/25 @ Hagerty | 1 |
| 04/01/25 @ Cypress Creek | 1 |
On the hitting side, Luke Ramsey was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last five games he's played. Fabian Gavalo was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
Lake Nona always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .588. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .543 or higher in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, St. Cloud was not the first on the board last Thursday, but they got there more often. They blew past Apopka 20-9. That's two games straight that the Bulldogs have won by exactly 11 runs.
Brian Wright looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Sammy Echeverry, who fired off two home runs and seven RBI while going 3-for-4. Those two home runs gave him a new career-high. Sebastian Echeverry also deserves some recognition as he launched his first home run of the season.
St. Cloud pushed their record up to 17-6 with the win, which was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Lake Nona, their record now sits at 15-10.
Tuesday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Lake Nona has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .436. However, it's not like St. Cloud struggles in that department as they've averaged .452. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lake Nona took their win against St. Cloud in their previous meeting back in March by a conclusive 11-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Lions since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
